Somewhere We Belong
by Marianne H. Stillie
Summary: The choices lovers make for each other's happiness.


Title: Somewhere We Belong

Author: Marianne H. Stillie

Categories: Ship, Alternate Reality

Rating: M

Pairing: Jonas/Cassie

Series: Jonas and Cassandra: Their Story

Season: 8

Sequel To: Beginnings, Hunted, A Good Hearted Alien Man

Summary: The choices lovers make for each other's happiness.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment, not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks are intended. Previously unrecognized characters, places and this story are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Archive: Please do not archive anywhere without the author's permission.

Copyright (c) 2005 Marianne H. Stillie

* * *

Somewhere We Belong

Jonas heard the engine of one of the new Alpha site shuttles echoing through the southern valley. Looking up from the row of seedlings he had just planted, he saw it reduce speed and altitude as it headed toward him. He wasn't expecting anyone from the base, and Jack O'Neill always drove over in his truck.

Brushing the dark garden soil off his hands, he walked to the front of the in-process house he'd built soon after he had arrived on the planet four months ago. He stopped short when he saw who was exiting the shuttle.

As the shuttle took off, he watched Cassie walk toward him, a duffel bag in each hand and a subdued but suggestive smile on her face. She stopped in front of him, dropped the bags and wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss was her best 'I've missed you' kiss since they had become lovers. It finally ended only because they needed to breathe.

"You weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow."

"I couldn't wait another day to ravage your body." Her hands slowly slid down his bare chest.

He laughed. "Right now I'm sweaty and dirty."

"So?" and she kissed him again.

Pulling away, he smiled suggestively. "Do you know what a Japanese bathtub is?"

* * *

His fingers combed through her dry, disheveled hair. Their bare-body closeness gave him one of those breathless moments of pure joy that came to him more and more frequently since Cassie had become his lover. Their two sessions of lovemaking, one quick and urgent, the other slow and luxurious, had left them drowsy. They'd slept in each other's arms on the thick airbed and pillows on the sunroom floor, the strong sunlight coming through the bathhouse skylight soothingly drying their skin.

Their first mating after they'd been apart was always hard and intense. It relieved the immediate tension in their bodies but left them wanting more of each other. The second time, they had soaped each other repeatedly in the hot water of the deep wooden tub, letting their desire grow slowly. Then he had watched Cassie's face as she moved on him, her deeply aroused body taking increasing pleasure from him. Only when he was sure she was fully satisfied did he allow his own need to be fulfilled.

Feeling her lying close beside him, her eyes closed, her hand lightly moving on his body and her head nestled close against his chest, he was reminded of the painful ache the empty place in his bed brought him each day they were apart, an emptiness that had grown heavier as the months went by. He wanted more of the joy and pleasures this loving, caring woman gave him but he couldn't say the things he wanted so desperately to ask her.

Noticing the deep western slant of the sunlight, he said instead, "Now that we've gotten the sex out of the way, how would you like to go out for the evening?"

Her voice languid from their nap, she said, "On one condition – we do this again tomorrow."

"You're going to be here for six weeks."

"And I expect to be made love to every day, at least once."

Jonas rolled her over on her back and straddled her body. "You are insatiable, Cassandra Fraiser." He leaned down and kissed her hard on the mouth.

When her mouth was free again, she said, "A few short days each month just aren't enough, my love." Her hands caressed his face and pulled him down to her.

The second kiss was softer and they both smiled.

"So, where are we going?"

Rolling over onto his back again, Jonas sighed. "Dave and Beth Dixon are having a huge sunset to sunrise party for the whole base. I didn't want to go alone, but now that you're here…"

"You don't have to be alone." The pained look that flashed into his eyes startled Cassie and she leaned over and kissed him before he felt the need to respond. "Jeans and, I presume," she said standing up.

"Yes," and he stood up. Moving very close to her, he said, "Cassie?"

"Mm?"

"Thank you."

She leaned into him and brushed her mouth across his. "Ditto."

* * *

As Jonas drove along the rough dirt road between his isolated house and the expanding complex around the Alpha site colony, he was very aware of the silence between him and Cassie. They'd had their share of companionable silences but this was different. His emotions were so high and so intense at being with her again that he was afraid he would say the wrong thing. He turned on the CD player he kept in the jeep, hoping he'd left one of the quieter country music disks in it. The first song made him quickly turn down the volume.

Laughing, Cassie said, "Your taste in music has changed so much since you got here."

"A different world requires different music."

"You've also made an important place for yourself here in such a short time. I hear nothing but good things about you from everyone."

"I love my work with the SGC. You know that. I'd do the same if I was at Cheyenne Mountain."

"There are major changes coming there, and soon."

"I heard General Hammond is finally retiring."

"But not for the reasons everyone thinks. He's never forgiven himself for Mom."

Jonas frowned. "Too many people have claimed a piece of that guilt. Daniel, Jack, Sam."

"And it's gradually breaking them apart."

"I know Jack misses everyone. That's why he's spent so much time helping me build the house."

"My Uncle Jack misses my Aunt Sam and that's something I wish I could do something about. They're both so stubborn and thick-headed about making a choice about their future."

Jonas kept silent, knowing he'd be a hypocrite if he agreed. The funny thing was, the general had the same opinion about Cassie and him and hadn't been shy about saying so numerous times. But it was the subject he least wanted to talk to her about. He couldn't and wouldn't ask her to make that choice.

Picking a safer topic, he asked, "I thought Daniel was doing better?"

"My Dad hides so much but I know he wants to go somewhere off world and lose himself in his work. His grief over losing Mom and their baby is still so raw. He's talked about moving to the Beta site."

"Now that's far away and primitive. What's holding him back?"

Cassie took a long deep breath to give herself time to make up a safe answer. What she couldn't tell him was how angry Daniel was that they'd decided to wait until she got her medical degree before getting married. She'd lost track of how often he'd used the phrase 'wasted years' and she knew he wasn't just talking about her and Jonas.

Deciding on the second safer reason, she answered, "He feels he needs to stay for Teal'c and the Jaffa. They've come so far in their struggle against the Goa'uld. The months ahead are critical for them."

"They've all put their lives on hold for altruistic reasons."

"I'm glad you haven't. You're making a life and a home for yourself here."

"My home is wherever you are. Whether that's here or Cheyenne Mountain doesn't make a difference," he said, a hard edge creeping inadvertently into his voice.

Startled, Cassie asked, "But the house? You're putting so much of yourself into it, the bathhouse, the garden. It's like you're building a nest on this world."

Jonas raised the volume on the CD and kept his eyes straight ahead. He'd gotten into a verbal trap and suspected his very perceptive lover wouldn't let it pass. The seconds dragged and the music didn't cover the silence.

"Jonas, please stop the car."

He turned off the ignition but kept both hands gripping the steering wheel.

"Every time we make love it's as close as two people can be, as if the sex will make up for all our loneliness. But we've both been avoiding saying how we feel about this long distance arrangement. Please, tell me what you really want?" she asked very tenderly.

"Before I do, I need you to promise me something."

"I trust you so much, I'll promise even before I know what it is."

"Thank you for that," he said taking her hands firmly in his. "Promise me, no matter what we decide, you'll never give up working for your degree in medicine. Please, Cassie, that's very important to me."

She smiled. "I promise."

Taking a quick deep breath before he lost his momentum, Jonas continued, "I want us to be together, Cass. Really together, as husband and wife. I thought I'd be able to wait all those years until you finished school, but I was just kidding myself. The next position that opens up at the mountain, I'm taking it. And I want us to get married, very soon."

"What makes you think I'd have to give up school if we live here? I can be a Stargate commuter," she laughed softly.

Looking at her loving face in the fading daylight, he started laughing too. They moved together for a deeply comforting embrace that truly expressed the completeness they felt only with each other.

"Thank you for saying what I've been feeling too. Back on Earth, I wake up at night and reach out for you, forgetting that you're thousands of light years away. Then I cry from missing you so much, and it's gotten worse each month. I can't do years without you."

The laughter changed to tears for both of them but this time they were tears of gladness and hope. They sat in the car for long minutes just holding each other.

"Promise _me_ something?" Cassie asked.

"Anything."

"Never shut me out of your feelings ever again."

"I promise."

Kissing him very gently, Cassie said, "Do you think you can do without me for a few hours tomorrow?"

"Why?"

"I'm going back to Earth, to UCCS, to cancel all the summer classes I signed up for. That way we can spend the next three and a half months together."

"You're sure you won't miss Daniel and home?"

"My home is wherever you are."

The joyous shudder that his body gave at her words was impossible to hide and he felt her arms tighten around him. Clearing his throat so his voice wouldn't shake, he said, "So, we're officially engaged?"

"Yup."

"What about the wedding?"

"Late summer would be nice."

"And where we'll live?"

"We'll flip a coin?"

"Agreed."

Cassie pulled back from their embrace. This time her voice shook with overwhelming emotions. "You know, Quinn, we can talk about this later, in bed. The sun's almost set and we'll be late for the party."

Turning the ignition key, Jonas said, "You're so right, my beautiful and brilliant Cassandra."

As the engine turned over, the music started again. They both recognized the sensual lyrics of a country love song they had danced to often and began to sing to each other about lovers being left weak by their passion.

The Alpha site planet's red-gold sun slid into the western horizon as the jeep headed southeast toward the young colony's home base.


End file.
